Legacy IB Training Will Leave You Stranded. Gain the Perspective Your Peers Won’t Have for Years and Secure Your Spot at the Top of the Stack.
Stop memorizing formulas and start thinking like a banker. Get Desk Ready with visual frameworks from a veteran of UBS LA (now Moelis LA), Golden Gate Capital, HIG, and a $2B hedge fund. No academic theory, just 15+ years of deal experience delivered in plain English.
Mike Kimpel
Founder, Finance|able • Columbia Business School Faculty
- Average IB Analyst Salary
- $150K-200K+
- Course Hours
- 30+
- Lessons
- 100+
- Students Trained
- 10,000+
Where Our Students Work
Dynamic Systems Approach
Go Beyond Formulas. Build the Visual Intuition to Tackle Any Concept on the Job.
Here’s what most courses get wrong: they teach you WHAT to know, but not HOW to think.
They give you formulas to memorize
We give you frameworks to internalize
Dynamic models that work for ANY situation
DESK READY FRAMEWORKS
Excel: The Visual Function Logic
Most analysts memorize syntax (e.g., =INDEX(…,MATCH(…))) without understanding what the function is actually doing. We strip away the abstraction. We use animated diagrams to show you exactly how Excel ‘thinks’, visualizing how the program searches, finds, and retrieves data in real-time.
Filings: The Filings Navigation System
Navigating a 10-K is not about reading page-by-page; it’s about knowing where to find what matters and skipping over zero value-add content. We give you a mental map of the filing architecture so you can jump immediately to the critical data points.
Business Mechanics: The Business Machine Framework
Every business has the same root-level structure. We teach you the ‘Business Machine’, a framework that reveals the three core drivers of every business. This insight forms the foundation of every assumption you will make, allowing you to build models based on how a company actually works rather than just plugging in numbers.
Financial Modeling: The Modeling Loop
Visualize the three statement financial model as a system where every input flows logically through the Income Statement, balances the Balance Sheet, and reconciles the Cash Flow Statement.
LBO Modeling: The ‘Big Three’ Visualized
Sources & Uses, Pro Forma Balance Sheets, and the Debt Waterfall are the ‘Big Three’ concepts that trip up almost every new analyst. We make them easy through dynamic animation. Instead of guessing and hoping your model balances, you will see these concepts in motion so you can internalize the mechanics immediately, transforming the most intimidating parts of the model into the most intuitive.
M&A Modeling: M&A Model North Star Framework
Move beyond the mechanical combination of two spreadsheets and grasp the big picture. We consolidate the complex web of adjustments into a simple map that shows exactly how to get from Acquirer and Target earnings to the final Post-Deal number. Instead of plugging in data and hoping it works, you gain a ‘North Star’ visual that allows you to navigate the accretion/dilution analysis with total clarity.
How Finance|able Compares to Legacy Training
| Feature | Finance|able | Legacy Training |
|---|---|---|
| Learning Method | Motion-based visual systems | Static slides + audio |
| Mental Models | Dynamic, visual frameworks to tackle any problem | Memorize Formulas |
| Desk-Ready Focus | Accelerate your first 5-10 years on job | Training from 20 Years Ago |
| Teaching Style | Real person on camera (Mike) | Audio voiceover on slides |
‘We continue to be baffled by financial analyst programs that boast about 5-10+ hours of content in a single course…in a world where attention spans are shrinking by the minute.’
As Mark Twain said: ‘I apologize for such a long letter, I didn’t have time to write a short one.’
Don’t worry, you won’t need 70+ hours to master IB fundamentals with our courses. We’ve done the hard work of distilling what actually matters.
— Mike Kimpel, Founder, Finance|able
Why This Works:
Legacy Wall Street training firms will teach you the formulas. We teach you how to THINK like a banker.
Most courses build around one company case. Our dynamic frameworks work for ANY company, tech, healthcare, industrials, doesn’t matter.
You’ll hold these mental maps in your head on the job. You won’t fumble through memorized facts when the VP asks for analysis. You’ll think dynamically, work confidently, and become the go-to analyst in your group.
Desk-Ready on Day 1.
The Investment Banking Desk Ready Package gives you everything you need to hit the ground running.
DESK-READY
Swap mechanical steps for a closed-loop system. You’ll see financial analysis and modeling dynamically in your head and not just on the spreadsheet.
- Beyond just basic Financial modeling, understand pitch books, CIMs, bid letters, bake-offs
- Learn how to craft thoughtful modeling assumptions
- Go beyond memorizing templates and grasp the ‘why’ behind advanced concepts like Merger Models
Hit the ground running when you start. See around corners, while your peers are lost in acronyms. Quickly become the go-to analyst in your group because you already know how the full deal process works, from pitch to close.
“This simulation teaches you everything you need to know to put you miles ahead of your class.”
— Myles Opdahl, M&A Summer Analyst
Everything You Need to Get Desk Ready
10 comprehensive courses to take you from zero to desk ready
DESK READY
Build the skills you need to be the top analyst in your group
1. IB Desk Ready: Start Here
Get the exact blueprint to maximize your limited prep time. Secure a clear game plan for navigating the Desk Ready curriculum so you can hit the ground running and quickly become the star analyst in your group.
2. Excel Survival Kit
Legacy training courses bury you in 200 functions. We focus on the few that actually matter using a ‘messy data’ case study, exactly what you’ll face on the job. Visual function walkthroughs enable a deeper understanding of Excel formulas than you will find anywhere else.
3. PowerPoint Speed
Maneuver through PowerPoint like a world-class investment banking analyst after just 1 hour of prep. Learn the shortcuts and custom setup that enables you to format slides and build decks in a fraction of the time.
4. Navigate the Filings
Filings: The Filings Navigation System
Start reading filings like a seasoned pro. Quickly sift through hundreds of pages to find the critical numbers efficiently. Internalize the differences between Adjusted, Pro Forma, and Run-Rate metrics so you can interpret public and private data without the confusion that plagues most first-year analysts.
5. Business Mechanics
The Business Machine Framework
Master a simple, powerful framework to break down any company, determine its core drivers and craft credible modeling assumptions. In just a few hours, gain the business judgment it usually takes 5-10 years to acquire on the job.
6. Financial Modeling
The Modeling Loop
Master a ‘closed loop’ approach to Financial Modeling where every input flows logically through the Income Statement, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow Statement. Nail down tricky concepts like working capital projections (e.g., DSO, DPO, etc) so you understand the underlying intuition behind the model build instead of just memorizing keystrokes.
7. LBO Modeling
LBO Modeling: The ‘Big Three’ Visualized
Learn the ins and outs of LBO model mechanics from transaction assumptions to returns analysis using visuals that break down the trickiest concepts: sources and uses, the pro forma balance sheet, and the debt waterfall. Gain a deep, intuitive understanding of how the model actually works, giving you a perspective that is simply not taught in legacy courses.
8. M&A Modeling
M&A Modeling: M&A Model North Star Framework
Move beyond the mechanical combination of two spreadsheets and grasp the big picture. We consolidate the complex web of adjustments into a simple map that shows exactly how to get from Acquirer and Target earnings to the final Post-Deal number. Instead of plugging in data and hoping it works, you gain a ‘North Star’ visual that allows you to navigate the accretion/dilution analysis with total clarity.
9. Sell-Side M&A in Real Life
A walkthrough of the full deal lifecycle, from the initial pitch to closing documents. Reviewing the full process ensures you understand the context of your work and know exactly what steps and documents follow one another on a live deal. Hit the desk understanding pitch books, CIMs, and bake-offs, allowing you to see around corners while your peers wait for instructions.
BONUS: Valuation Fundamentals
A supplementary resource to keep your mental models sharp. Use these modules to quickly refresh your memory on DCF mechanics, multiples, and common valuation pitfalls.
PLUS: You Also Get
- Blockchain Verified Certificate of Completion (add to LinkedIn)
- Lifetime access (with $415 option)
- All future course updates
- All Desk Ready training materials
Total Value: $1,055 if purchased individually
Bundle Price: $415 lifetime / $275 yearly
Your Savings: $640 lifetime / $388 yearly
Certificate of Completion Included
Certificate of Completion
Investment Banking Desk Ready Package
Finance|able • Instructed by Mike Kimpel
Add to LinkedIn, include in networking outreach, and demonstrate structured, practitioner-led preparation.
Why the certificate matters
Top-tier banks receive hundreds of applications from lookalike candidates. Your certificate signals:
-
Structured preparation:
You invested in a comprehensive, practitioner-built curriculum, not random YouTube playlists.
-
Practitioner mentorship:
Mike’s background across IB, PE, and hedge funds, and nine years at Columbia, backs your story.
-
Desk-ready commitment:
You’ve gone beyond interview hacks by mastering how deals work in practice.
How students use it:
- • Add to LinkedIn’s ‘Licenses & Certifications’ section with the verification link.
- • Mention in outreach emails: ‘I completed Finance-able’s IB Desk Ready package to ensure I’m desk-ready from day one.’
- • Reference in interviews when telling your preparation story.
Invest in Your IB Career Today
Two options. Same comprehensive training. You choose what works best.
YEARLY ACCESS
$275/year
- Full access for 12 months
- All 10 Desk Ready courses included
- Certificate of completion
- All future updates during access period
- Stream on any device
LIFETIME ACCESS
$415 one-time
- Unlimited lifetime access
- All 10 Desk Ready courses included
- Certificate of completion
- All future updates forever
- Stream on any device
- Best value for serious students
The Math Is Simple:
IB Analyst Year 1 Comp: $150-200K+
Investment: $415 one-time
ROI: 360x in Year 1 alone
This might be the best investment you ever make.
Target or Non-Target, Our Students Get Offers
“Helped me get a bulge bracket offer”
“Used this course to directly answer multiple questions in my bulge bracket IB superday. Anybody who wants to break into IB needs to take this course to successfully ace your interviews.”
Dylan K.
J.P. Morgan
“Best Prep For Superdays”
“Coming from a non finance background, this course truly helped me get up to speed on valuation methodologies. Mike does an incredible job with explaining key concepts at a high level and challenging you along the way.”
Marcelo S.
Carlyle Group
“BEST CONTENT TO PREP FOR IB”
“Have worked two summers in M&A (one in PE and one with MM IB). This simulation teaches you everything you need to know to put you miles ahead of your class.”
Myles O.
“Best Accounting Introduction Course”
“Coming from a non traditional academic background, this was for me the best course on the market. Anyone interested in deepening their understanding and beginning their professional development should start here!”
Jonathan A.
“In Layman’s term”
“This was the first course that really explained valuation concepts to me, where I was able to understand them! Never experienced something like this.”
Michael P.
Barclays
“So thorough!”
“This course does a great job on expanding basic accounting principles in a way that is comprehendible and thorough. I was able to learn so much new content without getting overwhelmed!”
Rashmi M.
J.P. Morgan
“Most easy to understand valuation course I’ve ever used!”
“This course helped me prepare for interviews. It is so easy to follow, engaging, and makes valuation an easy concept to grasp. I watched this before an interview to remind myself about the fundamentals and it helped me so much!”
Finance|able Student
“Hands down the best way to learn!”
“Mike’s simple, step-by-step teaching process helped simplify intimidating LBO concepts and made learning much more digestible compared to other courses I have taken.”
Connor N.
Bank of America
Learn From Someone Who’s Worked in Every Major Area of Finance (IB/PE/HF)
Finance changed my life…full stop.
I wasn’t supposed to make it on Wall Street. Non-target school, no family connections, had to figure it all out myself.
But once I got in, UBS Investment Banking, Golden Gate Capital, HIG Capital, a hedge fund that grew to $2B, I saw something clearly:
The way finance is taught is broken.
Static slides. Formula memorization. Zero focus on how the job actually works.
I spent 15 years building pitch books, running deals, analyzing companies across every industry you can imagine. I taught at Columbia Business School for nearly a decade and have trained 10,000+ students across a variety of roles, including as Managing Partner at Wall Street Prep.
And I kept hearing the same thing: ‘This is the first time someone explained it so I actually GET it.’
That’s why Finance|able exists. To teach finance the way it SHOULD be taught, visually, practically, and in Plain English.
Not because I’m a genius. Because I’ve been in the trenches. And I know what you actually need to succeed.
A Unique Perspective
Investment
Banking
Private
Equity
Mutual
Fund
Hedge
Fund
Professor + Professional Trainer
I have accumulated a unique range of experiences as a practitioner and teacher across the core areas of top-tier Finance.
In Finance|able’s courses, I tie these experiences together to help students see each situation from buy-side, sell-side, and operating roles using time-tested methods from over a decade and a half working and teaching on Wall Street.
You’ll learn to be much more than just Mechanics with our training.
Mike’s Background:
Investment Banking
UBS LA (run by Ken Moelis)
Private Equity
Golden Gate Capital ($15B AUM) – Principal
Private Equity
HIG Capital ($42B AUM) – Vice President
Hedge Funds
Long/short equity fund (grew to $2B)
Columbia Business School
Adjunct Faculty (9 years)
Wall Street Prep
Managing Partner
Total AUM Across Firms: $49B+
Professional Experience
| Investment Banking | |
| Private Equity | |
| Hedge Fund | |
| Mutual Fund | |
| Operating |
Teaching Experience
| Adjunct Professor | |
| Private Equity: Megafund | |
| Private Equity: Small Cap → Upper MM | |
| Investment Bank: Bulge Bracket | |
| Investment Bank: Elite Boutique | |
| Investment Bank: Middle Market | |
| Hedge Fund | |
| Mutual Fund |
Your Brain Learns Better When It SEES Concepts in Motion
Most finance courses teach you like it’s 1995 with static slides, audio voiceovers, and walls of text.
Research shows that visuals and animations are far more effective when you’re dealing with holistic systems.
When you SEE debits and credits flying across the screen in our accounting course, your brain builds a mental map. The concept sticks.
When you WATCH the accretion scale tip from benefits to costs in real-time, you internalize how M&A deals work. You don’t just memorize, you understand.
This isn’t just ‘pretty animations’ for the sake of design. It’s empirically-backed learning that ensures you learn faster and retain more than with other programs.
And when you’re sitting in that Goldman Sachs superday and the VP twists the question?
You don’t panic. You don’t freeze. You don’t fumble through memorized facts.
You see the framework in your head. And you answer with confidence.
“I’ve never experienced something like this before.”
Recurring feedback
“Your accounting course is fun.”
Yes, we made accounting fun.
“Where did you learn all that?”
What interviewers ask our students
See The Difference For Yourself
Don’t take our word for it. Watch actual samples from the course and see why students call our approach ‘unlike anything else.’
Sample Lesson #1: The Three Financial Statements
Watch how income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement connect dynamically, not through static formulas.
Sample Lesson #2: DCF Basics
Instead of memorizing formulas, you’ll see the DCF process in motion.
“When you mentioned that there’s nothing out there like this, I thought you meant you just had a better understanding of accounting than others, but the Finance|able platform is actually one of a kind. The mini quizzes and visuals are amazing and they’re a perfect way to learn.”
Early Finance|able User
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How is this different from Wall Street Prep or Breaking Into Wall Street?
A: Four major differences:
(1) Visual, animated learning. You see concepts in motion rather than staring at static slides from the 90s.
(2) Unrivaled Practitioner Experience. The only curriculum hollistically crafted by an instructor with a background in IB, PE, and Hedge Funds, showing you exactly what matters and why.
(3) Dynamic Frameworks. You gain the ability to tackle any scenario through logic, rather than relying on memorized facts and corner-case rules.
(4) Full Desk-Readiness. In addition to mechanics, you will learn the ‘Why’ behind everything LBO and M&A modeling, plus the M&A process steps usually left out of training: pitch books, CIMs, data rooms, and bid letters.
Q: I’m from a non-target school. Will this help me compete?
Absolutely. The vast majority of our prior students come from non-target schools and regularly beat out candidates from target schools (e.g., Wharton, Harvard, etc.) for roles at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Evercore and many others.
But this isn’t just for the underdog. It works for everyone.
This visual learning approach levels the playing field for everyone, replacing ‘pedigree’ with a deeper level of ability than you’ll gain with any other prep program.
Q: Do I need any prior finance knowledge?
A: No. All of our courses are built with beginners in mind. The only assumption we make is that you can handle basic arithmetic, we take care of the rest.
We explain everything in Plain English without the jargon walls, creating a learning experience that students actually enjoy rather than dread.
Q: Will this prepare me for both BB and boutique banks?
A: Yes. The frameworks work universally, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Lazard, Evercore, Houlihan Lokey, doesn’t matter.
The fundamentals are the same. The interview styles may vary slightly (some banks love paper LBOs, others focus on case studies), but the technical foundation is identical.
Q: Do I get lifetime access?
A: With the $830 option, yes, lifetime access to all courses, any updates we make, and any new content we add to the bundle.
The $475/year option gives you 12 months of access with the ability to renew annually.
IB Recruiting Timeline: Next Wave Starts in 4-6 Weeks
For undergraduates: Junior year spring recruiting begins January-April for summer analyst roles. This year however some recruiting will occur in December.
For MBA students: Fall recruiting kicks off October-November for summer associate roles.
If you’re recruiting this cycle, starting prep now gives you the runway you need to be competitive.
The students who land offers at Goldman, Morgan Stanley, and Evercore? They started prepping 6 weeks or more before interviewing. They didn’t wait until the week before superdays.
Ready to Land Your Dream IB Role?
Join thousands of students who’ve used Finance|able to break into top-tier finance careers.
Learn from someone who’s actually been there, UBS, Golden Gate Capital, HIG Capital. Visual frameworks, dynamic mental models, and desk-ready training.
You don’t need a perfect background. You don’t need connections. You just need the right training and the drive to succeed.
Let’s get you desk ready.
Questions? [email protected]